Intra-airplane mail transfer



Nov. 21, 1923. 1,474,457

L. Cr WEENBERG ET AL INTRAAIRPLANE MAIL TRANSFER Filed June 29 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 20 1923.

L. C. WEIN BERG ET AL INTRAAIRPLANE MAIL TRANSFER F'il'ed June 29, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ililllllllllllll Nov. 20,1923. L. C. WEINBERG ET AL INTRAAIRPLANE MAIL TRANSFER Filed June 29, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 AND H LOWELL C. WEINB FFICE.

En'r n. anon, or DAYTON, euro.-

. rmnanmrnann raan srnn.

A Application filed June 29, 1921. Serial No. 481,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOWELL C. WEIN- BERG and HERBERT E. BRANNON, citizens of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Intra-Airplane Mail Transfers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates-t0 aircraft and in particularto means for transferring packialgels1 from one aircraft to another while in Tt isthe primary object of the invention to provide an apparatus which may be mounted upon two or more airplanes, or other aircraft, and which may be. used to transfer mail, expressfor other articles from one .ship to the other when two of them fly close together and assume certainrelative positions suitable for the transfer of packages.

A further object is the provision of a transfer apparatus of this character which is capable of holding a number of packages and transferring any selected number of the packa es from one ship to the other at the will 0 the pilot.

Another object is to rovide a transfer apparatus which is of slmple construction, which is absolutely reliable in operation, and which may be installed in an aircraft very conveniently-and without occupyinga great amount of space.

Other objects may appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I .Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of two airplanes in flight showing the manner in which packagjxs are transferred from one ship to the ot er;

Fig. 2 is a, transverse sectional view through the package transfer apparatus of one ship; I

Fig. 3 is a side View of the apparatus showing the same in the act of releasing one end.

of the package, or container;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the releasing mechanism in' the act of. finally releasing the entire package;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the packages;

Fig. 6- is a side elevation of a modified form of transfer apparatus, showing" an automatic trip device in set position; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing the trip device at the time of actuation.

The invention is shown applied an airplane, but its use upon dirigibles and other a1r craft is also contemplated.

Referring to the drawings and particu larly to Fig. 1, it will be observed that it is intended in the present instance, at least, to transfer packages between ships when one is flying directly-above the other and in the same direction. By flying both at substantially the same speed, this can be effected easily, provided the pilots have acquired skill in this operation. By having the discharging ship fly above the receiving ship, transfer may be accomplished by utilization of the force of gravity instead of requiring any kind of elevating or hoisting device.

The method of transfer-just outlined may be practiced by the use of the specific apparatus disclosed in the present drawin but it is to be understood that various modifications in construction or substitutions of parts may be made within'the scope of the appended claims.

Turning to Fig. 2, the numeral 10 designates a narrow compartment which may be mounted within the fuselage ofthe airplane at any convenient location with respect to the pilots cock-pit 11. The side walls of this compartment serve as guides for the cylindrical packages or containers 12, and are spaced apart suflicientlyto permit the staggel-ed arrangement of packages shown in Fig. 2 without danger of jamming. The lower end of the compartment is constricted as shown to provide a discharge opening, or mouth, just large enough to permit the discharge of one package at a time.

Thetransfer apparatus may be identical in all the ships as shown. It therefore includes both releasing and receiving mechanism.

The releasing mechanism will first be described. Nearthe bottom of the ompartment 10 and adjacent to both en s of ts narrow mouth, two slings 14 .and 15 are pivotally mounted on transverse axes 16 and 17 respectively. For the sake of convenience, sling 14 may be termed the front sling and 15 the rear sling. The rear sling is 1111118 form of a yoke with a de ending arm 18. The front sling, however, inc udes both upper and lower package engaging port ons 19 and 20 respectively. The upper engagmg portion of the front sling is angularly d1sposed w1th respect to the lower engaging portion, and the former/is connected by means of connecting rod 21 to the depending arm 18 on'the rear sling. This arm 18 is in turn connected by the path of the packages in compartment 10. When the upper engaging portions of both slings are located in o erative position within the path they will e in position to engage the lowermost package of a series so as to support the packages. This POSl tion of the hand lever and slings is represented in dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the lever is in the full line position of Fig. 3, the upper engaging portions of the slings will be in inoperative position and will thus permit the train of packages to descend one step and thus bring one into engagement with the lower engaging portion of sling 1 1. Since only the front end of thispackbrac et is mounted in such a manner as 2-8, and each ported by the sling, means age will beesu ed for supporting the other must be provi end.

It is desirable to suspend a package about to be transferred to another ship in the angularly disposed position shown at the top of Fig. 1. It is proposed to support the rear end ofthe lowermost package by a device which will permit the package to turn on its rear end as a pivot upon release of the front end. For. this purpose a stationary hook 27' projects upwardly into the path of the packagesfrom a bracket package is provided on the end intended 'to be disposed rearmost in the compartment 10 with a triple loop 29 of such construction that it cannot avoid the hook 27 as 'it descends to the mouth of the compartment. The hook is certain to become engaged with some part of the loop. It will be evident that a package which drops into contact with the lower engaging portion 20. of the frontsling, at its tront end, must also become engaged at its rear end with hook 27. Then, when the hand lever is thrown lag the pilot. into the dotted line position of ig. 3 and the front end of. the package thereby released, the rear end will still be engaged with the hook and will thus cause-thepackage to swing into the inclined'position represented in Fig. 1. An inclined guide bracket 30 is adapted to project beneath the fuselagebf the transferring ship intothe position shown in Fig.

1 for contact with each-package when it in the inclined osition shown prelim: mary to actual disc arge into the receiving com artment' of the other ship. This gm when not desired for immediate use.

In order to provide means for finally releasing the rear end of the package about to be discharged, a trip lever 31 is pivotally connected to the hook 27 at its free end. While entirely.

The bottom of the pilots cock-pit should. be provided with an observation window 34 in order-that the pilot may observe the receiving ship and regulate the position of his own ship accordingly.

In order to facilitate accurate transfer of a package from the discharging ship into the receiving'ship, each ship isprovided with a retractible guide bracket 35 mounted at the upper end of the compartment 10 and at the rear edge of the latter. When in the operative position shown in Fig. 1, it will project above the fuselage of the receiving ship to such an extent that, when it nearly touches the lower end of the guide bracket 30 of the other ship, the pilot of the latter will know that both ships are in the proper relative positions for transfer. Looking through his observation window 34;, he can determine when-this adjustment has been attained and may pull the handle 33 at this time to cause the package in discharge position to descend. along guide brackets 30 and 35'into the receiving compartment 10 of the lower ship.

In order to make the operation of trans-. ferring a package from one airplane to another clear, the successive steps will be described in the order in which they will occur in practice. Let it .be assumed that the compartment of one ship containsseveral packages, one of which is-to be transferred to another ship in flight. This particular package must be situated at the bottom of the series. Assumin lever 24 is in the fu line position of Fig. 3 and that the desired package is in the position shown in that figure, thepilot of'thc transferring 'or discharging airplane pilots his'ship into position above the'recelving to be capable of retraction into the fuselage also that the hand ship and moving in the same direction and at substantially the same air speed. The pilot-of the receiving ship raises his guide bracket 35 and the pilot of the. discharging ship lowers his guide bracket 30 and moves hand lever 24 forward into the dotted line de position (Fig. 3). This causes the package'- to be transferred to swing. into the dotted line osition of Fig, 1, in contact with guide bracket 30. Looking down through the observation window 34, the pilot of the discharging 'ship watches the guide bracket of his ship and regulates his speed so that his guide bracket gradually approaches the guide bracket 35 of the receiving ship. When these brackets are. finally'in registration and the package can be discharged with safety along the guide bracket 35, he pulls handle 33 and allows the package to drop. It slides .into the compartment of the receivin ship 39. 7 projects. from the trigger at an in the manner represented in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Should it be desired to transfer more than one package, the operations of lever 24 and handle 33 .arerepeated the required number of times. In either event, when the transfer has been accomplished, the guide brackets of both ships are retracted and they proceed on their routes of flight. With practice, transfer of packages from one ship to another by the use of this ap paratus may be performed quickly and accurately.

In order to absorb the shock of impact when a package is dropped into the compartment of the receiving ship, a shock-absorbing bulkhead 36 is rovidedat the front of the compartment. allin packages will be deflected against thisbul head by guide bracket before dropping onto .the floor of the compartment or onto other packages lying thereon.

The apparatus which has been describedrequires manual operation by the pilot ofthe discharging ship. Inanticipation of developments which may renderautomatic operation desirable, a modified form of the apparatus capable of such operation is disclosed in Figs. 6 and 7. Inthis instance, a trigger 37 is pivoted at 38 on the free end of guide bracket 30. of the discharing ships apparatus. This trigger is adapted to project below the guide bracket for contact with the u tanding guide bracket of the receiv ing s. ip' when both ships 'gare'fin position for accurate transfer of packages. An arm angle thereto. Instead of having the flexiblemember 32:1e'adto ahandle, as sho'v vn'inFigs.

1, 3and 4',"it is extended over a-.pulley40' and connected to arm 39 of theftrigger. Actuation-of the trigger will" thus'serve to throw trip lever 31 and releasea'pac'kage in the inclined dischar'ing position 'oflFig. 6.

Fig. 6 shows the trigger of the transfer. ap-- paratus on a discharging ship about 3 to be struck by the'upp prguide bracket of'the re ce ving ship. In

leased is indicated. The use of automatic trip mechanism may be found-preferable. In its use, the pilot of the rceivmg ship, who has a better view of the transfer apparatus than the other pilot," controls the"release mer t for guidm toward said till I ig, 7, the positionof parts f after a package has been automatically. rea.

operation by regulation of the speed and direction of flight of his ship. This should insuregreater accuracy of transfer.

\Ve claim:

1. In apparatus for transferring packages by gravity from one aircraft to another while both are in flight means for supporting apackage at relatively spaced points, and means for releasing 'each supporting means independently of the other.

2. In apparatus for transferring packages by gravity from one aircraft to another while both are in flight, means for supporting a package on one aircraft, and means whereby sai p-acka e'may be partially re-' leased and permitte to assume a discharging position prior to its complete release.

3. In apparatus for transferring packages by gravity from one air craft to another tion to permit one end of the package toswing downwardl and means for subsequently releasing t e package.

5. In apparatus for transferring packa es by. gravity from one aircraft to anot or while both are in flight, a plurality of supporting slings for a package, means for movlng one. of said slings out of supporting position. to permit one end of the package to swing downwardly,.means for subsequentlv releasing the package, and means for guidingthe ackage during the initial portionof the discliargemovement thereof. 5

6. In apparatus for transferring packages b gravity from one aircraft to another while both are in flight ,'an inclined guide for holding the package in a slanting position, before it is released 7 In apparatus for transferring packages by gravity from one aircraft to another while both are in flight, a package receivin compartment having a shock absorbingwal and-means projecting above said compartthe package downwardly 8. Iii-an apparatus for tranSferingpacIcages from one aircraft to another in ght, a. pair or package-holding 1 slings movably mounted, one sling having an upper engagin portion and a lower enaging port on {adapted to be. M". 111 operativeosition'jwhen the, other 18 1!). inoperative position, the other sling having a'single engion adapto cooperate with the up r enga portion of'the first slmg, means- Y whic M. slings maybe ad usted to at therating engaging portions of both .into operative position and inoperative position alternately, package engage ing means adapted to engage a package when in engagement with t e lower engagingportion of-the first sling and independently operable means by which the said engaguig meansmay be released.

9. n combination with an aircraft fuselage, means for facilitating the transfer of an object by gravity from one aircraft to an other comprising a guide projecting downwardly from the fuselage and adapted upon release of the object to direct the same along a given path.

10. In combination with an aircraft fuselage, meansfor facilitating the transfer of an object by gravity from one aircraft to another, comprising a guide projecting downwardly from the fusela e and adapt-- ed upon release of the ob ect to direct 7 other, comprism an object by f 1 areas? the same alonga given path, said guide hea ing retractible.

v 11. In combination with an aircraft fuselage, means for facilitating the transfer of an object by gravity from one aircraft to anwardlyfrom the selage an adapted upon release of the object to direct the same along a given path.

12. In combination Withan aircraft fuse a guide rejecting npla, means for facilitating the tranfier of another, comprisin a do projecting updly from the fn sela e and adapted upon release of the object to 'rect the same along a given path, said guide being retracti-ble.

In testimony whef we have afixed our signatures.

LUWELL C. WEINBERG. HERBERTE. BRANNQN.

vity from one aircraft to 

